His　resolution　was　taken　at　St。　Albans；　and　over　a　comfortable　dinner
  he　pictured　a　serene　and　uneventful　future。　　On　the　morrow　he　would　set
  forth　to　Dublin；　sell　his　handsome　stock　of　jewels；　and　forget　that　the　cart
  ever　lumbered　up　Tyburn　Hill。　　So　elated　was　he　with　his　growing　virtue；
  that　he　called　for　a　second　bottle；　and　as　the　port　heated　his　blood　his
  fingers　tingled　for　action。　　A　third　bottle　proved　beyond　dispute　that　only
  the　craven　were　idle；　‘and　why；'　he　exclaimed；　generous　with　wine；
  ‘should　the　most　industrious　ruffler　of　England　condescend　to　inaction？'
  Instantly　he　summoned　the　ostler；　screaming　for　his　horse；　and　before
  Redburn　he　had　emptied　four　pockets；　and　had　exchanged　his　own　tired
  jade　for　a　fresh　and　willing　beast。　　Still　exultant　in　his　contempt　of
  cowardice；　he　faced　the　Warrington　stage；　and　made　off　with　his　plunder　at
  a　drunken　gallop。　　Arrived　at　Dunstable；　he　was　so　befogged　with　liquor
  and　pride；　that　he　entered　the　‘Bull　Inn；'　the　goal　of　the　very　coach　he　had
  just　encountered。　　He　had　scarce　called　for　a　quartern　of　brandy　when　the
  robbed　passengers　thronged　into　the　kitchen；　and　the　fright　gave　him
  enough　sobriety　to　leave　his　glass　untasted；　and　stagger　to　his　horse。　　In　a
  wild　fury　of　arrogance　and　terror；　of　conflicting　vice　and　virtue；　he　pressed
  on　to　Hockcliffe；　where　he　took　refuge　from　the　rain；　and　presently；
  fuddled　with　more　brandy；　he　fell　asleep　over　the　kitchen　fire。
  By　this　time　the　hue　and　cry　was　raised；　and　as　the　hero　lay　helpless　in
  the　corner　three　troopers　burst　into　the　inn；　levelled　their　pistols　at　his　head；
  and　threatened　death　if　he　put　his　hand　to　his　pocket。　　Half　asleep；　and
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  wholly　drunk；　he　made　not　he　smallest　show　of　resistance；　he　surrendered
  all　his　money；　watches；　and　diamonds；　save　a　little　that　was　sewn　into　his
  neckcloth；　and　sulkily　crawled　up　to　his　bed…chamber。　　Thither　the
  troopers　followed　him；　and　having　restored　some　nine　pounds　at　his　urgent
  demand；　they　watched　his　heavy　slumbers。　　For　all　his　brandy　Simms
  slept　but　uneasily；　and　awoke　in　the　night　sick　with　the　remorse　which　is
  bred　of　ruined　plans　and　a　splitting　head。　　He　got　up　wearily；　and　sat　over
  the　fire　‘a　good　deal　chagrined；'　to　quote　his　own　simple　phrase；　at　his
  miserable　capture。　　Escape　seemed　hopeless　indeed；　there　crouched　the
  vigilant　troopers；　scowling　on　their　prey。　　A　thousand　plans　chased　each
  other　through　the　hero's　fuddled　brain；　and　at　last　he　resolved　to　tempt　the
  cupidity　of　his　guardians；　and　to　make　himself　master　of　their　fire…arms。
  There　were　still　left　him　a　couple　of　seals；　one　gold；　the　other　silver；　and
  watching　his　opportunity；　Simms　flung　them　with　a　flourish　in　the　fire。　　It
  fell　out　as　he　expected；　the　hungry　troopers　made　a　dash　to　save　the
  trinkets；　the　prisoner　seized　a　brace　of　pistols　and　leapt　to　the　door。　　But；
  alas；　the　pistols　missed　fire；　Harry　was　immediately　overpowered；　and　on
  the　morrow　was　carried；　sick　and　sorry；　before　the　Justice。　　From
  Dunstable　he　travelled　his　last　journey　to　Newgate；　and；　being　condemned
  at　the　Old　Bailey；　he　was　hanged　till　he　was　dead；　and　his　body　thereafter
  was　carried　for　dissection　to　a　surgeon's　in　that　same　Covent　Garden
  where　he　first　deserted　his　hackney　cab　for　the　pleasures　of　the　town。
  ‘Gentleman　Harry'　was　neither　a　brilliant　thief　nor　a　courteous
  highwayman。　　There　was　no　touch　of　the　grand　manner　even　in　his
  prettiest　achievement。　　His　predecessors　had　made　a　pistol　and　a　vizard
  an　overwhelming　terror；　and　he　did　but　profit　by　their　tradition　when　he
  bade　the　cowed　traveller　stand　and　deliver。　　His　profession；　as　he
  practised　it；　neither　demanded　skill　nor　incurred　danger。　　Though　he
  threatened　death　at　every　encounter；　you　never　hear　that　he　pulled　a　trigger
  throughout　his　career。　　If　his　opponent　jeered　and　rode　off；　he　rode　off
  with　a　whole　skin　and　a　full　pocket。　　Once　even　this　renowned　adventurer
  accepted　the　cut　of　a　riding…whip　across　his　face；　nor　made　any　attempt　to
  avenge　the　insult。　　But　his　manifold　shortcomings　were　no　hindrance　to
  his　success。　　Wherever　he　went；　between　London　and　York；　he　stopped
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  coaches　and　levied　his　tax。　　A　threatening　voice；　an　arched　eyebrow；　an
  arrogant　method　of　fingering　an　unloaded　pistol；　conspired　with　the　craven；
  indolent　habit　of　the　time　to　make　his　every　journey　a　procession　of
  triumph。　　He　was　capable　of　performing　all　such　feats　as　the　age　required
  of　him。　　But　you　miss　the　spirit；　the　bravery；　the　urbanity；　and　the　wit；
  which　made　the　adventurer　of　the　seventeenth　century　a　figure　of　romance。
  One　point　only　of　the　great　tradition　did　Harry　Simms　remember。　　He
  was　never　unwilling　to　restore　a　trinket　made　precious　by　sentiment。
  Once　when　he　took　a　gold　ring　from　a　gentleman's　finger　a　gentlewoman
  burst　into　tears；　exclaiming；　‘There　goes　your　father's　ring。'　　Whereupon
  Simms　threw　all　his　booty　into　a　hat；　saying；　‘For　God's　sake；　take　that　or
  anything　else　you　please。'　　In　all　other　respects　he　was　a　bully；　with　the
  hesitancy　of　a　coward；　rather　than　the　proper　rival　of　Hind　or　Duval。
  Apart　from　the　exercise　of　his　trade；　he　was　a　very　Mohock　for　brutality。
  He　would　ill…treat　his　victims；　whenever　their　drunkenness　permitted　the
  freedom；　and　he　had　no　better　gifts　for　the　women　who　were　kind　to　him
  than　cruelty　and　neglect。　　One　of　his　many　imprisonments　was　the　result
  of　a　monstrous　ferocity。　　‘Unluckily　in　a　quarrel；'　he　tells　you　gravely；　‘I
  ran　a　crab…stick　into　a　woman's　eye'；　and　well　did　he　deserve　his　sojourn　in
  the　New　Prison。　　At　another　time　he　rewarded　the　keeper　of　a　coffee…
  house；　who　supported　him　for　six　months；　by　stealing　her　watch；　and；
  when　she　grumbled　at　his　insolence；　he　reflected；　with　a　chuckle；　that　she
  could　more　easily　bear　the　loss　of　her　watch　than　the　loss　of　her　lover。
  Even　in　his　gaiety　there　was　an　unpleasant　spice　of　greed　and　truculence。
  Once；　when　he　was　still　seen　in　fashionable　company；　he　went　to　a
  masquerade；　dressed　in　a　rich　Spanish　habit；　lent　him　by　a　Captain　in　the
  Guards；　and　he　made　so　fine　a　show　that　he　captivated　a　young　and
  beautiful　Cyprian；　whom；　when　she　would　have　treated　him　with
  generosity；　he　did　but　reward　with　the　loss　of　all　her　jewels。
  Moreover；　he　had　so　small　a　regard　for　his　craft；　that　he　would　spoil
  his　effects　by　drink　or　debauchery；　and；　though　a　highwayman；　he　cared　so
  little　for　style；　that　he　would　as　lief　trick　a　drunken　gamester　as　face　his
  man　on　Bagshot　Heath　or　beneath　the　shade　of　Epping　Forest。　　You
  admire　not　his　success；　because；　like　the　success　of　the　popular　politician；
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  it　depended　rather　upon　his　dupes　than　upon　his　merit。　　You　approve　not
  his　raffish　exploits　in　the　hells　of　Covent　Garden　or　Drury　Lane。　　But　you
  cannot　withhold　respect　from　his　consistent　dandyism；　and　you　are
  grateful　for　the　record　that；　engaged　in　a　mean　enterprise；　he　was　dressed
  ‘in　a　green　velvet　frock　and　a　short　lac'd　waistcoat。'　　Above　all；　his
  picturesque　capture　at　Hockcliffe　atones　for　much　stupidity。　　The
  resolution；　wavering　at　the　wine　glass；　the　last　drunken　ride　from　St。
  Albansthese　are　inventions　in　experience；　which　should　make　Simms
  immortal。　　And　when　he　sits　‘by　the　fireside　a　good　deal　chagrined；'　he
  recalls　the　arrest　of　a　far　greater　maneven　of　Cartouche；　who　was
  surprised　by　the　soldiers　at　his　bedside　stitching　a　torn　pair　of　breeches。
  His　autobiography；　wherein　‘he　relates　the　truth　as　a　dying　man；'　seemed
  excellent　in　the　eyes　of　Borrow；　who　loved　it　so　well　that　he　imagined　a
  sentence；　ascribed　it　falsely　to　Simms；　and　then　rewarded　it　with
  extravagant　applause。
  But　Gentleman　Harry　knew　how　to　tell　a　simple　story；　and　the　book；
  ‘all　wrote　by　myself　while　under　sentence　of　death；'　is　his　best
  performance。　　In　action　he　had　many　faults；　for；　if　he　was　a　highwayman
  among　rakes；　he　was　but　a　rake　among　highwaymen。
  III　A　PARALLEL
  HAGGART　and　Simms　are　united　in　the　praise　of　Borrow；　and　in　the
  generous　applause　of　posterity。　　Each　resumes　for　his　own　generation　the
  prowess　of　his　kind。　　Each　has　assured　his　immortality　by　an　experiment
  in　literature；　and　if　epic　simplicity　and　rapid　narrative　are　the　virtues　of
  biography；　it　is　difficult　to　award　the　prize。　　The　Switcher　preferred　to
  write　in　the　rough　lingo；　wherein　he　best　expressed　himself。　　He　packs
  his　pages　with　ill…spelt　slang；　telling　his　story　of　thievery　in　the　true
  language　of　thieves。　　Gentleman　Harry；　as　became　a　person　of　quality；
  mimicked　the　dialect　wherewith　he　was　familiar　in　the　more　fashionable
  gambling…dens　of　Covent　Garden。　　Both　write　with　out　the　smallest
  suggestion　of　false　shame　or　idle　regret；　and　a　natural　vanity　lifts　each　of
  them　out　of　the　pit　of　commonplace